


Possession of a Warden

by RoxySantana



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II
Genre: F/M, Ferelden, Grey Wardens, Mage Rights
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-03
Updated: 2016-11-13
Packaged: 2018-08-28 17:56:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8456233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoxySantana/pseuds/RoxySantana
Summary: This is an AU in which the Warden Queen of Ferelden takes an interest in Anders deal with Justice. It starts off slow setting the scene as we see just how far Justice has wormed his way into Anders mind. The story is set during a romance between Marian Hawke and Anders. Some parts will be taken straight from the game but with my personal twist to them others not so much, I'm taking full advantage of the time gaps from DA2. It will include original characters. Rated M for later chapters.





	1. The Warden and the Spirit

          “Anders! Anders stop! Please love you’ll kill her!” the voice of Marian Hawke pierced the rage that fogged the mage’s mind. 

The fog lifted as he pushed Vengeance back and regained his senses. What was happening? What had he done? He found the answers to that question reflected in the frightened eyes of a young girl. The voices were clear now, Marian was pleading with him to stop, Verric was attempting to calm him, and he swore he could hear Fenris growling.

      “What am I doing?” he asked out loud as he stepped back from the girl, he could feel Vengence’s power dissipating. Fear overtook him as he realized he had nearly killed an innocent girl. No, he realized not him, Vengence had taken over him. He had allowed himself to be possessed. Maybe the frightened girl was right. She had called him an abomination. His mind was muddled, he could not think straight. He turned to look at Marian, his lover, the only person he had allowed to get so close after Justice had joined with him. She looked at him with concern, and fear welled up in his heart.

         “ _She keeps you from doing what we must_ ”

          Vengence cried out within him.The once peaceful spirit despised the lady rouge. He saw her as a distraction, ignoring the good Marian brought to Kirkwall.

         “ _Distance yourself from her! She is meaningless! You do not need the Hawke for your plans_ ”

         “ **No, Justice…I love her. She is the one bright thing in my life and I can’t lose her** ”

          “ _You will only break her heart, that’s the best case! The worse case is that she will die because of you_ ”

          “ **Like the girl you nearly killed?! Leave me to my thoughts Justice…I…I need to think** ”

          “Anders- “Anders?” Marian’s voice pulled him out of his argument, “Anders calm down, it’s alright”

      She had moved to stand before him, taking his large hands in her own. Her bright blue eyes looked at him with hope and life. Things that the mage was not sure he deserved. He raised a hand to stroke her cheek, wanting nothing more then to run away with her. To start a life free of Templars, free of the Circle, and away from the chaos that seemed to follow them. As he looked past the love of his life however and met the cruel eyes of Fenris he felt the hope drop into a deep pit. The elf looked at him as if he were nothing more then a rabid dog, a monster that had to be put down. Vengence’s words that spoke of Marian’s death echoed in his mind. He pulled away from her and looked down in shame.

      “I nearly killed her Mari…I could have…. That scares me…..I…I can’t hurt you, never….I need time”

      Those were the words he left her with as he turned as vanished into the night. Marian could feel her heart break a little as her lover retreated. She turned away and headed off to escort the wailing girl home. A task she completed quickly, wanting to go home. Varric and Fenris walked close to her as they traveled the streets of Hightown, it was late and muggers had settled in quite comfortably on these streets. It was Fenris who spoke first as they reached the Estate.

     “You know Hawke, I could kill him for you” he suggested.

      His suggestion was met with a dwarven boot on his fully exposed toes, pulling a feral hiss from the elf’s throat.

       “Oh sorry Fenris, I didn’t see your foot there! I told you get some shoes!” Varric apologized half heartedly.

       Marian knew this was the dwarf’s way of keeping her friend from shoving his foot too far down his throat. A small smile crossed her lips as she listened to the elf curse out the dwarf in some foreign language. She shook her head at her two best friends. She knew that in his own way Fenris was trying to help, and Varric was trying to keep him from helping.

       “Alright you two, lets not wake the entire district please. I’m tired of the City Guard knocking on my door with a noise complaint” she told them jokingly.

       Varric smirked at her, glad to hear her making jokes again. He loved her funny cheeky attitude, it made conversations with prissy nobles so much more entertaining.

       “Alright Hawke, we’ll let the neighbors sleep in tonight. The elf and I will be at the Hanged Man playing cards if you need us” the dwarf assured her.

        “We will?”

        “Yes elf _we_ will. You need to spend some time out of that dark tomb you’re squatting in”

         Hawke bid her friends goodnight, the small smile still on her face. Once she walked inside however the smile faded. Her house seemed darker then normal, she wondered if Anders had come home. She got her answer as Bodahn welcomed her home and asked if Master Anders would be coming home later. Her heart sank and she headed off upstairs to collapse face first on her bed. It was nearly an hour later before the door to her room opened. She looked up in excitement, then frowned at the sight of her mother. Her head hit the pillow so firmly her face sunk into it.

       “Marian…dear are you alright?” her mother asked.

        A groan emitted from the pillow as an answer. The Lady Amell sighed as she sat down on her daughter’s bed. She reached a hand over and ran it through Marian’s short raven hair.

         “Now my little girl what’s troubling you? Did you and Anders have a fight? I’ll box his nose if he said something to hurt you! Don’t fret love he wasn’t worth it, we all know it wasn’t going to work out” she cooed.

          Marian shot up as if she had been startled. She turned to look at her mother in surprise. “Mother! I love him! We haven’t fallen apart, there was just…an incident…he needed to clear his head” she retorted.

          Her mother sighed again, “I know you love him dear…but I worry. There is something off about him…I think you should just set your sights higher. There are a lot of dashing young nobles in this city. You could find a proper husband.”

          Marian refused to dignify that statement with an answer. She had met many of the young nobles of Kirkwall, she had not been impressed. Many of them were greedy, spineless, or just plain useless on the battlefield. She wanted a man who would stand by her in battle, a warrior that was not afraid to face dragons, or darkspawn, who had a noble heart and a gentle nature. Anders was everything she wanted and more. Vengence brought out a dark side that was unpredictable and spiteful, but when he was with her she saw the real Anders. A gentle man who fought for freedom, not only his own but for all mages. He was like a song bird raised in a cage his entire life, when the doors were finally opened and he spread his wings he could never go back to his life before. “If I were to one day marry it would be for love, and it would be Anders” the simple statement left her mouth and seemed to fill the room. Her mother smiled as she pulled Marian into her arms.

        “My little girl, look how grown up you are. Just yesterday you were skinning your knees and scaring the village boys, and now here you are. You’ve found a boy you care about and you’re willing to try with him even against the odds. My brave girl, your father would be so proud of you.” She told her, “Give that mage some time and he’ll come back. He’d be a fool not too”

        Marian smiled as she leaned her head against her mother’s shoulder. Her mother always had a way of making her feel like everything was going to be alright. It was a feeling that along with her friends got her through the next few weeks. Anders had returned to his clinic, burying himself in his work. Marian continued her usual profession of cleaning up Kirkwall, dispatching slavers and raiders at every turn.

       Many of these jobs were handed off to her by her friends, who were doing their best to keep Marian out of Darktown. She was sent gallivanting out into the mountains or along the coast with Fenris, meanwhile the others would take turns attempting to talk sense into Anders.

       Varric was the first to visit his friend. Anders had just finished treating a sick girl then turned around to find Varric sitting on a stool eating an apple. The dwarf smiled at him as he took an obnoxiously loud bite out of the apple. Anders sighed as he ignored him and washed his hands in a basin.

       “She doesn’t blame you Blondie” Varric told him.

        Anders heart sank he did not want to talk about this right now. “I lost control! I almost killed an innocent girl! I can’t….I can’t risk hurting her” he answered as he rinsed his face.

       “You do realize we’re talking about Hawke…not some little flower seller from Lowtown,” Varric stated bluntly, “She could beat your ass with one hand tied behind her back! There is no other woman out there that can make the same claim”

       Anders mind filled with the memory of his former Warden Commander. An image of her tearing The Mother’s head off with her bear hands was the brightest. A smile came to his face, and even Vengeance calmed in his mind. His chest puffed out a little and he found he missed his Warden uniform.

     “She’s not the only one,” he said with a laugh, “Fran would give her a run for her money”

      Varric chuckled and moved his stool closer to his friend as he tossed his finished apple into a trash bin.

       “Fran! Well Blondie I had no idea you got so much action! So who is she? A fellow mage? A jilted lover? A fellow mage who’s a jilted lover? Did you two share the robe trick?”

       Anders blinked at him in surprise, the thoughts of him sharing robes with the Warden Queen made him feel as if Alistair would swoop down from on high to smite him. He would feel first hand just why swooping is bad.

      “No! Oh by Andraste’s frilly knickers no! She’s married, happily married! I’d be executed for even voicing that suggestion!” he retorted as he turned to face his friend. “Oh a married woman! And a Noble if being with her could get you exacuted. The Circle in Ferelden must be fun. Or was this from your time with the Wardens?” Varric asked as he moved even closer.

      Anders sighed, he could tell there was no way of getting out of this. Varric would pester him until he found out the truth. He had not told anyone in Kerkwall other then Marian about his adventures with the Wardens, it was not a topic that came up much in conversation. He took a seat across from his friend and ran a hand through his hair.

     “ Fran was my Warden Commander…and my first close friend. She is also Queen of Ferelden mar-"

    “By the stone! You know Queen Fran! The Hero of Ferelden! How the hell did you manage that?!” Varric interrupted.

    “Well if you’d let me finish you’ll find out! Fran is married to King Alistair. Who is a very nice man, but if I even looked at Fran the wrong way it would be death by stinky cheese. I met her after I had escaped from the Tower, and been caught by Templars. She brought me into the Wardens. Gave me a life free of the Circle, I could never thank her enough for that. We did some crazy things, impossible, crazy things that even you would have a hard time believing. She was the one who gave me my cat, I miss him” a smile crossed his lips as pride welled inside him.

     “The Queen of Ferelden made you a Gray Warden? That in it’s self is unbelievable!” the dwarf replied with a chuckle.

      “Yes well the Dakspawn had dragged off all the Wardens posted at the Vigil, I helped her defend it so she conscripted me. She’s a sweet lady, if a bit rough around the edges. She takes care of her friends, and always has a plan” he responded.

      “I’ve heard the tales, they say she killed dragons single-handedly”

      “Oh no we’ve killed dragons, it always takes a group of us. High Dragons are the tricky ones…Alistair usually finishes those off just because he’s the only one crazy enough to get close enough to leap on the monster’s head. He’s the dragon slayer in the family.” Anders told him with a laugh.

     “No wonder nothing surprises you…sound like you had it made my friend. Why would you leave?” Varric asked him.

      Anders sighed leaning back in his chair. He had left because of Justice, he did not think he could look his friend in the eye and tell her that he had allowed Justice to possess him. She had not been too happy about the spirit possessing the body of a dead man, how would she have reacted to the fact that he not only had been possessed but had warped Justice into Vengence.

      “ _She is a good friend and an excellent commander but she would not allow this to pass_ ”

       “ **That’s what worries me** ”

       “ _We do not need her Anders. We will work here and free these mages from oppression_ ”

      “Blondie! Hey are you going to answer me?” Varric’s voice drew him out of the fog.

      “I left…I had to…The templers were chasing me. They found out about Justice, I lost control…they were killed” he responded shakily, he had let his mind slip again.

      Varric sighed, every time his friend seemed to get his life in order the so called Spirit of Justice seemed to screw it up.

      “Did the Warden Queen know about Justice?” Varric asked.

      “Well she knew him, he was a friend of ours, he had accidentally ended up in the dead body of one of the Wardens after we met him in the Fade, she even considered him a friend. He even defended Vigils Keep while we killed a psychotic broodmother. He joined with me later…knowing Fran I bet she knows now…” he replied.

     Varric wondered if the Queen of Ferelden had spies in Kerkwall, keeping an eye on her mage friend. If she did then the Warden Queen most likely knew about Hawke as well. Those two would most likely get along as friends, both had to deal with Anders. Speaking of Hawke, the dwarf realized just how distracted he had allowed himself to become. This conversation was suppose to be about Hawke not about how Anders had met the Warden Queen.

    “Right anyway,” he shifted uncomfortably, “I came to talk to you about Hawke. I’m doing a piss poor job at it but I wanted to convince you to come back. She misses you, I miss you, hell even the broody elf misses arguing with you! Blondie you have to come back”  

    Anders rose to his feet. He was done talking to the dwarf. With a huff he turned and walked away. He would not put Marian in more danger because he could not control himself. Anders returned to work, letting the dwarf linger to watch. He spent many days regaling Varric with stories of his life in Ferelden. The dwarf could see how the former Warden could be drawn to helping Justice and at the same time drawn to Hawke. He knew that Anders would eventually return to Hawke’s side without his help, but for now time would pass and they would talk.


	2. The Blood and the Lillies

        The talking came to an end one night when Marian returned home to find white lilies on the desk. Within moments she discovered that her mother was missing, and was out the door. She charged through Hightown, leaping down the steps into the streets of Lowtown. As she passed by the Hanged Man, Varric appeared in front of her.

         “Whoa Hawke! Where’s the fire? You could have tripped over me!” he called. Fenris’s eyebrows furrowed in worry, he had known Hawke three years now and never had he seen her looking so panicked. Her eyes were wide with fear, her breathing shallow, and her hands shook. Something was very wrong.

       “He’s taken mother! The killer with the white lilies! I think he’s taken her to the foundry!” she shouted the words as took up running again.

        Fenris blinked in surprise and tore off after her.

        “Get the mage!” he shouted reluctently before he disappeared into the night.

         Varric nodded then rushed to Darktown. He knew Fenris meant Anders and he knew just where to find him. Anders awoke to the sound of his door being flung open. He rolled out of bed clutching his staff. Before he could issue a warning Varric came crashing in, cursing all the way.

         “Hawke is in trouble! She’s in the Foundry” those were the only words he needed to say. Anders was out the door dragging him in seconds.

           _“Let her solve her own problems. I’m sure she is fine”_

            **“Shut up”**

          Anders ignored Justice as he raced to the foundry. Coming from Darktown, Anders had a few shortcuts that got him to Lowtown quickly. He emerged into the moonlight and dashed to the foundry. He did not have to search long to find Marian.

          “I said let me go Fenris!” Marian’s voice carried across the foundry.

          “We don’t know what’s in there! Wait for the others! You’re too clever to die of stupidity!” the elf answered.

           Suddenly Fenris felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up as lightning crackled through the air. He turned to find Anders glaring at him as sparks danced across his skin. It was one of the few times the elf had seen him angry without Justice assuming control. 

          “That’s the only warning you are getting elf” he boomed.

           Fenris glared back at the mage. Anders really had a way of reminding him why he hated mages so much. His lip curled as he sneered at Anders.

           “I bet you would do it too, and enjoy it!” he shouted.

           “I would not enjoy it, but I will do it to protect her” he replied with a crack of sparks.

           “Both of you shut up! Fenris let her go!” Varric commanded.

            He did not need to add the last part as the clever rouge slipped out of Fenris’s grasp. She charged inside not thinking, calling out for her mother. Anders’s flew past his companions to chase after her. Fenris followed at high speeds, unsheathing his blade. Varric sighed as he ran in after them, pulling Bianca off his back.

           “Oh for the love of -! Can we stop with the running! I’m not built for this!” he called.

           Marian plowed through the Shades and Demons that dared to get in her way. Anders kept close to her side, he could see she wasn’t thinking clearly. Even in this state she and Anders fell into a rhythm, they guarded each others back. Weeks of distance seem to melt away as they fought, had Marian not been in a panic she would have enjoyed it. Anders was barely aware of Justice’s voice in his mind. He drowned the spirit out as he solely focused on his lover’s movements. He had missed this, battling beside Marian was one of the few things that gave him clarity. This was where he was meant to be.

          Together they forced their way into the den of the Bloodmage. Sadly however they had come too late. Marian watched in horror as the Bloodmage’s creation rose from it’s seat. A creature made from the parts of different women, a lunatic’s attempt to bring back his dead wife. Her mother’s face looked at her blankly from the creature’s head. It stumbled across the floor toward them, a trail of blood left in its wake. Rage took Marian as she screamed in pain and heart break. The Bloodmage barely had time to cast a spell before Marian’s twin blades sank into his chest. Crimson blood splattered across the rouge as the blood magic collapsed. The evil man was dead, no other woman would fall to his abominations. Marian rushed to catch the creature before it could fall. Her mother’s face smiled at her.

        “I knew you would come my little girl.” Her voice was harsh, the magic was leaving her, “Don’t be afraid…I’ll see your father and Carver again. It is alright…”

        “Anders….please….” Marian begged him tears mingling with the dead man’s blood.

        Anders knelt down and pulled her into his arms. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he held her. The magic was already fading, Lady Amell would die in her daughter's arms. It would be slow and painful if he did not intervene. 

       “There’s nothing I can do. I’m sorry my love. I can only ease her passage”he whispered.

        Lady Amell smiled one last time, “Take care of my daughter, mage” she rasped.

       “I will my lady, I promise. Rest at ease” he swore as he placed a hand on her forehead.

       The light faded fast from Lady Amell’s eyes. There was one final rasp of breath, one final twitch of pain, then her body went limp and her head rolled to the side. Marian clutched the body to her, crying. Tears and blood stained the creature’s white dress as Marian called out for her mother. Anders scooped her up into his arms, gently separating her from the body. The guard had arrived, I would be best if Marian was not here for the investigation.

       He carried her to the entrance of the foundry, Varric and Fenrris following behind as usual. Once at the entrance he was not surprised as she wiggled out of his arms. She stood for a moment with her head against the wall. This was a look of defeat, of someone who had been broken, but it did not last long. She took a deep breath and raised her head. Her posture changed again to one of rage. There were other bloodmages out there, others who communed with demons for foul purpose. They had to be stopped before other innocents suffered at their madness. It was the few bloodmages that made people like Bethany feared as monsters. For the first time in her life Marian let hate slip into her heart, she hated bloodmages, and she would see Kirkwall rid of them.

      She walked through both Lowtown and Hightown oblivious to the stares she was receiving form those she passed. They all looked at her, she was covered in drying blood, her expression firm as stone, and her eyes cold as ice. On the inside she was screaming but no one would ever know. No one except Anders, he knew what pain looked like, he knew this was a crucible that could either break Marian or make her stronger.

      When Marian made it to the Hawke estate she walked inside without a word to her friends. Anders turned and solemnly thanked their friends for the help and bid them farewell. He rushed in the doors of the estate and once again scooped up Marian.

      “Orana prepare a bath please, Lady Hawke is in need of one desperately!” he called into the house.

      “Anders!” Marian protested.

     She was cut off as the mage pulled her head to his chest. He carried her down the stairs into the basement. Varric had been kind enough to have the dwarves build a large bathing pool under the estate. The water could be turned on and off and was always toasty warm. Orana gave the couple a polite bow before rushing off. Anders smiled as he heard the door close behind her. He placed Marian on the ground and went to work unstraping and unbuckling Marian’s armor. The usual hand slaps and protest of being able to remove her own armor were not present today. She was too depressed to argue. A frown crossed the mage’s face as he slid his own robes off. He pulled her into the bath with him and held her close.

    “I’m sorry love. She was a marvelous woman, you were lucky to have her as long as you did” he told her as he gently wiped the blood away.

    “Thank you Anders. Thank you for everything” she said as life seemed to slowly return to her bright blue eyes.

     He gave her a soft smile and kissed her freshly cleaned forehead. The two of them sat cleaning away the blood from the night’s battle. Marian was tired but there was no rest for her yet. Once she was clean of the blood she pulled away from Anders.

    “I have to tell Bethany, before others tell her. Anders, I have to go”

    She glided out of the bath and wrapped herself in a towel. At some point during the short bath Orana had come in to take her armor to get cleaned and brought down fresh cloths. She dried herself silently, barely catching the sound of soft wet foot steps from behind her. Anders wrapped her in his arms one last time, planting a kiss on the back of her neck.

    “I know, she should hear the news from you. I have a few things to clear up in the clinic. I’ll have it all sorted in a few hours and I’ll be back. I’m here for you Mari, and I will always be here for you” he told her as he let her go and proceeded to get dressed as well.

    The walk to The Gallows was a quiet one, the gossip of town feeling far away. She strode into the early morning shadow of the foreboding prison, past Templars and Mages. Since they put an end to the Tranquil Solution things had become calmer. Most of the Templars understanding the tension from the Mages attempted to keep their distance until things settled. Marian walked the guards only stopping once at the gate. She was allowed into the inner courtyard while an apprentice was sent to fetch Bethany. As she waited she steeled herself. This was not going to be easy, she wished that her friends had come with her, but knew they could not. As Bethany came into view, Marian took a deep breath.

   “Sister!” Bethany cried happily as she ran to her, “I’m so glad to see you”

   Marian’s resistance faltered as she turned her head away. How could she tell her little sister that her mother had died. It broke her heart to take that happiness from her.

   “Marian? Sister what’s wrong?” Bethany asked seeing the grief her sister wore on her face like a badge.

   “Beth…..mother…..mother is gone…she was killed” the words left her softly like the last breath leaving the dead.

   Bethany froze, the joy falling from her face. Fear and disbelief poured from her eyes. She shook her head as the first tears ran down her cheek.

  “No…no, no, no, no, Marian please…please don’t say that!” she begged.

   Her sister looked away, tears of her own forming in her eyes.

   “I’m sorry Beth…I’m so sorry…I wasn’t fast enough. I didn’t get there in time” she sobbed as she turned away from her sister.

   Bethany fell to her knees wailing. Between her wails she begged for it not to be. Marian turned and dropped to her own knees wrapping her arms around her little sister. The two Hawkes cried as Templars looked on in confusion. Bethany wailed as she pounded on her sister’s chest.

   “How could you let this happen?! Where were you?! Marian where were you?!” she cried.

   Marian held her sister as asked her how she had let their mother die. Her heart broke even more then it had already.

   “She was taken from town…I ran to get to her as fast as I could! I just didn’t make it…I’m sorry! I tired! I tried!” Marian pleaded, “She’s with Father and Carver now… it’s just you and me now, we’ll get through this.”

   Bethany pulled away from her sister as anger raged across her face.

   “Don’t you even start with that! I’m not one of your followers to be rallied when times get hard! You just can’t tell me everything is going to be alright!” he sister lashed out in anger.

   The air around her became heated, anything dry would catch fire if it came close enough. Marian had grown up with mages and knew that when they were emotionally unstable elements of magic escaped them. With Anders it was lightning, with her sister it was fire. She rushed to her sister and pulled her close into her arms. She rubbed her back soothingly and hummed a lullaby from their childhood. An unstable mage had to be calmed before the magic flared, not many people seemed to know that. Bethany relaxed in her arms, returning to sobbing in her sister’s arms.

   “I know Beth…I know…” she cooed. “I’m sorry sister…I’m sorry I didn’t mean it” she cried as the air cooled.

   The Templers had moved from their post, they watched Bethany as if fearing she would become an abomination. Marian glared at them as she held her sister protectively. She kissed the side of her head, running her hands through her hair. Sadly the damage was already done. The guards cut the visit short and tore the two sisters apart. Bethany was taken back to her room, and Marian was escorted out. Marian glared at the Templars as the gates closed behind her. She adjusted her tunic and turned away.

   She had to find a way to get Bethany out of that place, and had to keep Anders from ever going in. He would end up either dead or as a Tranquil. She stormed off, wanting to get home and open the bottle of brandy she had hidden from Isabella. Marian had hidden her best alcohol from her pirate companion for times when it would be appropriate to be good and drunk. Now was such a time. 

   She did not notice the shadow that broke away from the columns outside the Gallows. A hooded figure that had slipped by even the most alert Templar, he was one with darkness. The shadow followed her down the steps of The Gallows and across town to her home. He watched as she stopped at the door, stopping only for a moment to look back over her shoulder. He slid behind a corner in surprise. There had only been one other person who could detect him like that, the person who had sent him to Kerkwall. When he looked back, Marian was gone from sight. He sighed, perhaps he better go introduce himself.


End file.
